Machine for sorting perforated cards



July 4, 1933. K. A. KN'uTsr-:N

MACHINE FOR SORTING PERFORATED CARDS Filed Nov. 21, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l VIII Emily 41' w33 K. A. KNUTSEN ll MACHINE FOR SORTING PERFORATED CARDS Filed NOV. 2l, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hg. 5 Y

f J IPI mw da@ 6 /f @gm y M Patented .July 4', 1933 TES KNUT ANDREAS KNU'TSEN, OF IJAN, NORWAY .MACHINE FOR SORTNC-f PERFORATED CARDS Applicatcn'led November 21, 1929, Serial No. 408,887, vand in Norway September 28, 1929.

This invention relates to amachine sorting perforated cards.

rihese cards are ordinarily perforated or otherwise marked to eli'e'ct a record, frequently of a numerical value. F or this purpose each card may be considered as divided in columns, each column including a number of divisions or points with different numerical values. By punching through or otherwise marking the card at one oit these points, the column in question will be given a certain value. it is the purpose of the sorting machine to examine the same column on each card oit a pile ot' cards and sort or arrange for the cards in certain'groups, for instance 'in such a manner that each group consists only et cards which have been punched or otherwise marked at the same point in the selected column. f

The examination ofthe column may be ehected by passing the card across a feeler. if a point or figure in the column being eX- am ined has been punched through, the feeler will close an'electric circuit. Such electric sorting machines are previously known.

it is the object of this invention, while retaining an electric circuit closed by the feeler and a single magnet energized by this circuit to render the machine completely automatic in operation, thus avoiding disadvantages and defects of previously known machines.

rnother object is the provision of suitable devices to facilitate the operation and supervision of the machine by an attendant.

The invention is described herein with reference to the drawings, which show one example of an embodiment of a machineaccording to the invention. Fig. l 1s a vertical section through the longitudinal axis of the machine, 2 a vertical cross-section on the line A-Y--A in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a side view, F il; is a plan view of part ot the machine and Figs. 5 and G are details.

From a magazine 1 where the cards are piled they are in known manner carried horizontally' one by one. by means of a feeding device between rollers 3 beyond a feeler 4 and further between rollers 5 and G.

@n leaving the rollers 6, the card is caught by one ol the conveying beams 7, which are :fastened to an endless chain 8, and is conveyed, sliding on the slideway 9, past a series of flaps 10, which in opened position let the card tall down into` the receiving compartment or pocket 11 belonging to said flap.

It one of the ligures in the column on the card being examined by the feeler 4, is punched through, an electric circuit will be closed at the moment when the perforation passes the feeler. According to the invention, the closing of this circuit energizes a magnet 24 which serves to actuate an operating device 2O provided with a. series of cams 22, which device in turn brings one of a series of catches 12 carried on the conveying beams 7, in working position. In this working position the catch operates at the right moment to automatically open the lap of that compartment 11 for which the card is destined, so that the card will slide down in thiscompartment. l These catches l2 are arranged on each conveying beam in a line, which may be disposed at any angle with respect to the direction of motion of the card,

'in the present example perpendicular to the same. VThere is one catch for each movable fla-p, in this case eleven' catches are provided on'each conveying beam. The catches 12 may, of course,be placed on a separate beam independent oi the conveyor for the cards.

The catches are movable and have two fixed positions, one Zero or initial position, as indicated by 36, and one working position' (Fig. 5). The zero position is the normal position, to which the catch is always carried back automatically by each revolution of the beam. In working position, the catch will strike a certain one of the pivoted arms 13 and thus open a selected iiap. On every beam, catch No. 1 when in its working position will strike arm 13 belonging to flap No. 1, catch No. 2 will strike the arm belonging to flap No. 2 and so on. When the catches '12 are in the reset or zero position, they will not strike any of the arms 13. The arm 13, when struck by the catch 12, yturns shaft 14, whereby arm 15 is moved, Fig. 6. This arm in turn moves the double arm 16, against which the arm 17, xed to the flap,'rests. When arm 16 is moved, a spring 1S opens the flap. The opening takes place when the leading edge of the advancing card is a short distance from the flap. In the embodiment shown, arm 13 is actuated by a catch on the second beam ahead of the beam that pushes the card.

lhen the ilap opens, the card is pushed down iin-the compartment, bythe beam, and the flap is again shut by the cam wheel 19, carrying the cam 46, there being one cam for each pocket, which cam positivelyA shut-s the flap just at the moment when the conveying beam has passed the iap, the cam 46 at that moment striking arm 17. The cam wheels 19 are arranged on a longitudinal shaft Jwhich makes .one rotation for every Ybeam :passing the flap.

As Lalready mentioned the catch v12 is .brought into workingposition by the operat- .ing device 20. This operating `device comfprises asupporting member2l to .which is at- ;tached anumber of'cams 22, one cam foreaoh movable flap. .In this case Athere-are eleven cams. The'cams-are thin plates, so mount- -ed'fthatstheir planesfare parallel -to thefdirectionzoffmotion of fthe card. The distance .betweenadj acent cams inthe direction vperpenzdicular to the motion of the card, is vexactly `the sameandequal tothe distance'between the catches 12alsomeasured perpendiculary to .the vdirection of motion of the card. The -cams are mounted ron `a line, which :may be perpendicular to themoving direction/of the card, or as in this case on aline inclinedto ithisdirection, in such a manner., that thevdgis- .tancebetween each Vtwo adjacent cams,fmeas ured rin :the direction ofmotionl of the `card, .is thesamevand equal fto the distance which thefconveying Abeam travels while the card, being examined by the ffeeler, moves a distance equal to Athe distance between two yim- :mediatelysucoessive `points or figures in the -same vcolumn on the card.' The motionpf fthe conveying beam is vcontrolled in relation to the 'motion Vof the card when passing the eeler., `in such way that when a card :is in Aa certain Iposition relativeto the ffeeler acon veying beam-always is in a'lcertain position relative to the'operating device 20 or toa-nf)7 :part'of therard guideway It is :not necesysarythat the velocity of theconveying beam be :equa-l .to .the velocity yof thevcard at the feelen In lthe present case the velocity of :the -beam is greater.r`

The ,operating Ldevice 2O is lplaced immeydiately above the railson -which the convey- :ing beams slide. 1n the Zero :or `reset lposi- ;tionvfthe -catches l2 will ,be carried between the cams 22 without touching ,the same. On

accountofithe inclination'oftherow of cams' in relation .tothe directionoic imotion of the .card,1tliere will'` at'any moment-be only one catchd2 alongside of a cam 22 or between ,twoicams l f '-Whena card lreaches the e'eler 4, lthe v operating device 20 will always be in reset or Zero position. It is kept in this position by spring 38 which presses the operating device 20 against the inner end of the armature 23 belonging to magnet 24. Vhen a hole punched in the card passes the feeler, an electric circuit will energizethe magnet24. The armature 23 willribe attracted and spring 38 will move the operating device 20 toward the left (Fig. 2), which will be held in the new position'bythestop and push arm 25, which in turn is kept in position by the fixed stop 2G and spring 27. The operating device 20 is permanentlyreta-ined .in the horizontal plane by means of two springs 28, which press the operating .device against balls 29, rolling on 4the horizontal frame 30. In initial position s ewell as in shifted position, #the operating,r device .20 will yhave such position `Jthat the catches 12 on the conveying beams will not ,strike the cams 22, but will move between or alongside ofthe same. Then all numbers in Ythe column fof thatcard which is being examined lhave passed the eeler, -the cam 3] -,will move the l'push arvm25 and thus push the operating-device .20fback,so that the device .is held iin aitsinitial position by the end of the armature 28 -at the 'moment when a new card greaches the eeler. The cams 22 are .each pivotally mounted on a ,pivot 47 on the Operatingfdevgice 2O and are ,held in position .by 1a spring ,48, in such manner that the cam ii accidentally :struck-on its front-by a catch l2 may give way and let the catch pass.

f Thefdi-rection of motionA of the voperating .device 20,;is perpendicularfto the direction of vmotion of-,the card-and the conveying beams.

Ita-conveyingbeam is -just below the operating device 20, so 'thatbneof the catches is just alongside one oifthe cams, andthea'bove .mentioned electric circuit is closed at this anoment, Ythen :the operating device 2O will V.moved -depends ion the position of the conveying ,beams relative to the operating device 20. -Catch o. k1 will always lbe moved by cam No. l,fcatch No. 2 by cam No. 2 and so on. ihen'la 'catch l2 on the conveying 'beam -is brought :into .working position, it remains :in y`this position .until the flap that helongs [to that Acatchhis opened. rl`he catch then is automatically carried back into the initial position, which position the catches always have when they again are carried underneath the operating device 20.

The conveying -beams .tra-.vel on the slide ei-1, which Ireeps 4the beams in .their correct position. The -beams have on their lower end a projecting vedge 42, which edge supports the card when the beam'pushes thecard `:forward on the card guide. On their upper sides the cards are held in horizontal posi tion by means of two horizontal rails 35 and two stretched strings 44.

Having now described the diiierent elements of the machine, we shall follow the operations that take place when a card passes through the machine. The columns of the card usually contain the nim'ibers from 9 to 0. `We punch through for instance the number 9 in a certain column, adjust the 'feel/er to examine this column and put the card into the magazine. Then the machine moves, the card is carried underneath the feeler. At the moment when the number 9 on the card is just underneath the feeler, a conveying beam is just underneath the operating device 20, in such manner that catch No. l on the beam is just on the side of the 'lirst cam. ldlhen the perforated portion of the card passes the tecler, a circuit will be closed, the armature of the magnet attracted, the spring 3S moves the operating device 20 sideways and catch No. l is brought into working position.

lV hen the machine is moved further, the card is carried along, and just before it reaches the first flap, the catch No. i will open the flap, and the card slips down into the first pocket, which in this manner will receive all cards punched through, but no other cards.

' it the card has no perforation at the point representing numeral 9', but is perforated to represent numeral 8, the electric circuit will not be closed until the point corresponding to numeral 8 passes underneath the feeler. At the same time the beam will have moved iurther on underneath the operating device 20, so that catch No. 2 on the beam will now be aloi'igside cam No. @on the operating device 20. `When the operating device 20 then moves sideways, cam N o. 2 will push catch y No. 2 on the beam into working position.

None of the other catches will be moved, because catch No. l has now moved away 'from cam No. l and catch No. 3 has not yet reached cam No. 3. `When the machine moves still further, the card is carried along till just before it reaches iiap ilo. 2 and catch No. 2, which is in the working position will open this Hap and the card will slide down in pocket No. 2, which in this way will receive all cards perforated to represent numeral 8, and no other cards. lnthe same way the operations tal-1e place when the card is perforated at other points to represent other numbers.

rihe frame of the machine consists of a stationary lower part l0 and a pivoted part 39. rlhe pivoted part which consists ot two long and stift beams 32, held in fixed relation to each other by the transverse pieces 33, is mounted on the sha-tt or axle 34. On the pivoted part are arranged all slides and guide rails for the conveying beams. The

double endless chain runs over two pairs of chain wheels one pair ot which rotates on the same shaft on which the pivoted part of the trame may be mounted. The second pair of chain w ieels mounted resiliently in the other end ol the pivoted frameu Shaft llland arm 13 are also mounted on the pivot-- ed trame, as well as the 'two guide rails 35. When turning' the upper fra-mo about siiatt Bel, all the parts mentioned will thus be littcd from the card guide 9, and leave this quite tree, with the exception of the two stretched strings fil-fl, which are .fined to the stationary Vframe.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is l. A machine for sorting perforated cards of the type described which comprises in combination, a series of compartments, a slideway above said compartments, conveying means for moving the cards along said slideway, a plurality of tlaps, one for each compartment, in said slideway for causingthe cards to tall into the compartments to which they are intended, pivoted arms for operating said tia-ps, a plurality of series of pivoted catches carried by said conveying means, and disposed at right angles to the direction of travel of the conveying means, each catch of a series being adapted to be swung into an operative position for actuating one et said pivoted arms, a single series ci' cams disposed along a line forming an acute angle with the direction ot' travel of the conveying means, a common supporting member ier all said cams adapted to slide in a direction at right angles to the direction of travel of the conveying means, an electro-magnet for operating said cam su iporting` member and a ieeler adapted to close the circuit of said electromagnet according to the position of the hole provided in each card, whereby one of the cams is caused to swing one of the catches of one series into its operative position.

2. A machine for sorting perforated cards of the type described comprising in combination, a series ot compartments, a slideway above said compartments, conveying means for moving the cards along said slideway, a plurality ot iiaps, one foreach compartment, in said slideway tor causing the cards to fall into the compartment for which they are intended, pivoted arms for opera-ting said flaps, a plurality of series of movable catches carried by said conveying means, each catch o t a series being adapted to be brought into an operative position for actuating one of said pivoted arms, a single series ot cams tor bringing only one catch ot a series at a time into said operative position, an electromagnet for operating said series of cams, a eeler adapted to close the circuit of said electromagnet according to the position ot the hole provided in each card, and a frame adapted to support said conveying means, said trame being pivotally mounted on the machine.

3. A machine for sorting perforated cards ofthe type described comprising in combination, a series of compartments, a slideway along said compartments, conveying means for moving the cards along said slideway, two axes for supporting said means, a plurality of flaps, one for each compartment, in said slideway Jfor causing the cards to fall into the compartments for which vthey are intended, pivoted arms for operating said flaps, a plurality of series of movable catches carried by said conveying means, each catch of a series being adapted to be brought into an operative position for operating one of said pivoted arms, a single series of cams for bringing only one catch of a series at a time into said operative position, an electromagnet tor operating said series of cams, a teeler adapted to close the circuit of said electromagnet according to the position of the hole provided in each card, and a frame adapted to support said conveying means, pivotally mounted about one of the axes of said conveying means.

4i. A machine tor sorting perforated cards ot 'the type described which comprises in combination, a series ot' compartments, a slideway above said compartments, conveying means for moving the cards along said slidef way, a plurality of flaps, each corresponding to a compartment, in said slideway for causing cards to fall into the compartments to which they are intended, a plurality of pivoted arms for operating said flaps, a plurality of series of movable catches carried by said conveying means, each catch of a series being adapted to be brought into an operative position for actuating one of said arms, sliding means, adapted to move transversely ot said conveying means, for bringing only one catch ot a series at a time into said operative position, electric means for directly operating said sliding means, and a .teeler for controlling said electric means in accordance with the position of the hole punched in each card.

5. A machine :tor sorting perforated cards of the type described which comprises in combination, a series of compartments, a slideway above said compartments, conveying means for moving the cards along said slideway, a plurality ot' flaps, each corresponding to a compartment, in said slideway tor causing cards to tall into the compartments to which they are intended, a plurality ot pivoted arms for operating said tlaps, a plurality ot series of movable catches carried by said conveying means, each catch of a series being adapted to be brought into an operative position for operating one of said arms, sliding means, adapted to move transversely of said conveying means, 'for bringing only one catch of a series at a time into said operative position, an electro-magnet for directly controlling the displacement oi said sliding means, and a teeler adapted to close the circuit of said electro-magnet according to the position of the hole provided in each card.

6. A machine for sorting perforated cards of the type described which comprises in combination, a series of compartments, a slideway above said compartments, conveying means for moving the cards along said slideway, a plurality of flaps, one for each compartment, in said slideway for causing the cards to fall into the compartments to which they aie intended, pivoted arms for operating said flaps, a plurality of series of pivoted catches carried by said conveying means, and disposed along a line which intersects the direction of travel of the conveying means, each catch of a series being adapted to be swung into an operative position lor actuating one of said pivoted arms, a single series of cams disposed along a line which intersects the direction of travel ot said conveying means, a common supporting member for all of said cams adapted to slide transversely of said conveying means, an electro-magnet for directly controlling the displacement ot said cam supporting member, and a feeler adapted to close the circuit of said electromagnet according to the position of the hole provided in each card, whereby one ot the cams is caused to swing one of the catches of one series into its operative position;

7. A'machine tor sorting perforated cards of the type described which comprises in combination, a series oi compartments, a slideway above said compartments, an endless chain conveyor for moving the cards along said slideway, a plurality of pivoted flaps, one foreach compartment, in said slideway for causing the cards to tall into the compartments for which they are intended, a plurality of pivoted arms tor operating said iiaps, a plurality of series of pivoted catches carried by said conveyor and disposed along a line which intersects the direction of travel of said conveyor, each catch of a series being adapted to be swung into an operative position for actuating one of said pivoted arms, a single series of cams disposed along a. line which intersects the direction ot travel of said conveyor, a common vsupporting member for all of said cams adapted to slide in a direction at right angles to the direction of travel of said conveyor, an electro-magnet, a pivoted armature for said electro-magnet, a spring for urging said supporting member against said armature when the latter is in its: position of rest, whereby said supporting member is displaced by said spring when said armature is attracted by said electro-magnet, and ay teeler adapted to close the circuit ot said electro-magnet accordingto the position of the hole provided in each card, whereby one oi the cams is caused to swing one of the catches of one series into its operative position.

8. in a machine for sorting perforated cards ot the type described, the combination with a conveyor for the cards, of a series of card receiving stations disposed at intervals along the path of movement of the conveyor, a plurality of' discharging devices, one located at each station and cooperating with said conveyor tor effecting discharge of a selected card from the conveyor, a series of movable catches carried by said conveyor, each catch being allocated to one only of said devices :tor initiating operation of the latter, said catches being arranged in rows extending transversely of the conveyor and being individually movable from inoperative to operative positions, a plurality ot catch engaging members arranged in a row extending transversely of the conveyor and angularly disposed with respect to the rows of catches, said members normally occupying positions intermediate the individual paths of movement of said catches, and means acting in response to the presence oi a perforation in a card for shifting said members as a unit laterally of the conveyor, whereby the particular catch engaged and rendered operativeby the associated member is determined by the relative position, lengthwise of the conveyor, of the members and catches.

9. In a machine for sortingv perforated cards of the type described, the combination with a conveyor for the cards, of a series of card receiving stations disposed at intervals along the path of movement of the conveyor, of means for effecting discharge oi cards carried by the conveyor at stations selected in accordance with the arrangement of the perforations on the cards, said means including a plurality of rows of catches extending transversely of the conveyor and carried thereby, each catch in each row being allo.

cated to one only of said stations to initiate discharge of a card at such station, a plurality of catch engaging members arranged transversely of the conveyor and shiftable laterally thereof as a unit, said catch engaging members being positioned intermediate the individual paths of movement of said catches and being arranged in a row extending at an angle to the rows of catches, and means for shiftingsaid catch engaging mem` bers laterally, whereby the relative position7 lengthwise of the conveyor, of the catch engaging members and the catches at a given instant determines the particular catch engaged by the associated member, and means for rendering operative a catch so engaged.

KNUT ANDREAS KNUTSEN. 

